Wire harnesses used in vehicle electrical systems are often shielded from contaminants such as water and dirt by protectors at selected positions along their lengths. Protectors are also used in locations where a wire harness might be subject to wear. Protectors may also serve as wire harness guides or to secure a harness to a vehicle body panel.
A typical prior art wire harness protector is shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. The protector comprises a base or trough 1 with front and back walls and a cover 2 connected to the back wall by a living hinge 3. Locking arms or tabs 4 extend downwardly from the front edge of cover 2. Each tab 4 typically has a beveled end 5 with a locking step 6. The front wall of the trough includes sockets 7 for receiving tabs 4. As cover 2 closes (shown in FIG. 2 in solid lines), locking tabs 4 must be flexed (phantom lines) to align them for simultaneous axial insertion into sockets 7. Tip 11 and beveled end 5 of each locking tab 4 briefly engage beads 8 to force angled steps 10 in sockets 7 outwardly while passing through the open lower end 9 of each socket, until steps 10 snap back into place on locking steps 6.
To open the wire harness protector of FIGS. 1 and 2, tabs 4 must be simultaneously pushed in toward the trough until locking steps 6 clear angled steps 10.
A disadvantage of the wire harness protector of FIGS. 1 and 2 is the requirement that tabs 4 be simultaneously operated to open and close the cover.
FIG. 3 illustrates another prior art wire harness protector having a trough 1 and a cover 2, formed as separate components. In this illustration, locking tabs 4 and sockets 7 are located on both the front and back walls of the trough. As in FIGS. 1 and 2, all tabs and sockets must be simultaneously operated and aligned before the cover can be closed, or opened. While locking tab alignment may be easier in closing the cover on the trough, the quality of alignment is dependent on the quality of the molding of the separate cover. Additionally, manufacturing the cover separately increases tooling and production costs and requires manual matching and dual stock keeping for the matched covers and troughs.